EL DORADO HILLS Community Services District's new hires started work recently. Left to right are Director of Parks and Planning Kevin Loewen, Director of Recreation Jill Ritzman and Director of Administration and Finance AJ Holms. Democrat photo by Julie Samrick

EDHCSD hires three new directors

Recently, the El Dorado Hills Community Services District filled three new director positions.

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Recently, the El Dorado Hills Community Services District filled three new director positions.

Jill Ritzman is the CSD’s new director of recreation. She brings more than 25 years of experience in the parks and recreation field and holds a degree in recreation administration from California State University, Chico. Ritzman spent most of her career as the deputy director for Sacramento County regional parks and said she is most passionate about linking parks and parkways through connected trails.

“I am also passionate about letting kids play and get dirty,” she said. “I think it’s great when kids can get muddy and run free.”

Ritzman looks forward to the challenge of updating the district’s parks and services master plan and identifying the needs of El Dorado Hills’ residents. Ritzman is a 25-year resident of Pollock Pines. She is married and has two daughters. One is a student at El Dorado High School and the other attends the University of Nevada at Reno.

Kevin Loewen is the CSD’s director of parks and planning. Loewen earned a master’s degree in psychology, with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis, from California State University, Fresno. Most recently Loewen served Kings County, near Fresno, as its parks and grounds superintendent since 2007.

“It was my mission to provide the public with safe, enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing park and recreation opportunities in a fiscally responsible manner,” he said.

Loewen is a certified parks and recreation professional, a playground safety inspector, a landscape irrigation auditor and is a multi-endorsed pesticide applicator. Loewen said, “I am experienced with ensuring that park systems remain relevant across generations.”

His new position includes the overall management of the parks system, landscape & lighting assessment districts, facilities, and codes, covenants and restrictions.

“I am excited to join the district and find that the energy level of the staff members here is very high and very positive. This makes the move into my new role very welcoming,” Loewen said. “I am equally excited to meet community residents, especially those that are actively participating in the CSD’s multitude of recreation activities, special events and local governmental committees.”

A resident of Sacramento, Loewen is married and has two young sons.

AJ Holms is the CSD’s new director of administration and finance. He is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, where he received a degree in communications with an emphasis on organizational development. Holms is a candidate for a master’s in public health from Drexel University.

Holms’ career has spanned both public and private sector organizations. Throughout his career he said he’s created and streamlined business processes to reduce costs. Holms said he will direct the established divisions of administration, human resources, finance, information technology and help build and create the procurement and volunteer divisions in the next few months, while as project director of a newly purchased software he aims to help direct the implementation and training to connect systems, streamline communications, finances, reporting and processes throughout the district.

“As a native Californian I was immediately drawn to the EDHCSD because of its amazing parks, rolling hills, and recreation services,” Holms said. “I hope to be able to help make a difference for the district and help grow the new foundation. I have my work cut out for me, but I have a great team and colleagues, a supportive leader in the General Manager Brent Dennis and the experience and direction from the EDHCSD Board of Directors.”

With strong-ties to the region, Holms enjoys spending time with his dog, taking trips to the coast with family and friends and occasionally picking up a tennis racket.

“It is with great professional pride that I welcome a new leadership team to the El Dorado Hills CSD,” Dennis said. “Jill, AJ and Kevin bring an impressive array of career experience and valuable insights to the district’s recreation, administration, finance, planning, parks and facility programs.”

Former EDHCSD Assistant General Manager Sandi Kukkola, who left her post in December, juggled many of the responsibilities the newly created posts now include.